Shocking July 4 Poll Finds Nearly Half Of Americans Don’t Know What They’re Celebrating On America’s 250th

Nearly half of Americans don’t cognize what they’re celebrating connected the Fourth of July, according to a shocking poll.

July 4 marks nan 250th day of nan take of nan Declaration of Independence successful 1776, but 46 percent of Americans and 61 percent of Gen Zers couldn’t show you that, nan Cato Institute's nationalist study found.

Celebrations are taking spot crossed nan state this vacation weekend, but galore Americans grounded to correctly reply basal questions astir nan history of U.S. independency and nan Constitution successful nan canvass of 2,253 Americans aged 18 and older.

Only 61 percent correctly identified Great Britain arsenic nan federation from which nan 13 colonies declared independency 250 years ago. Overall, 40 percent answered incorrectly, pinch 25 percent admitting they were not sure, and others guessing Europe (4 percent), Canada (3 percent), France (4 percent), Spain (2 percent), and Germany (2 percent).

More than half of Americans (57 percent) don’t cognize why nan colonies declared independency from Britain successful 1776, and only 43 percent knew it was successful protestation of precocious taxes and a deficiency of practice successful government. A further 58 percent could not place nan main intent of nan Constitution — to found and limit nan powers of nan national government.

Americans were besides polled connected their beliefs astir nan state moving distant from nan founding principles, pinch a mostly (56 percent) worried astir nan conception that nan U.S. whitethorn extremity being a free country.

The top threats to America remaining a free republic were corruption (30 percent), excessively overmuch powerfulness successful nan presidency (21 percent), politicians ignoring nan Constitution (26 percent) and nan rich | having excessively overmuch powerfulness (24 percent). Republicans and Democrats alike classed corruption arsenic nan top threat to freedom.

But 4 successful 10 Americans (38 percent) deliberation it’s acceptable if a president they support stretched nan Constitution to get what they want.

The study concluded that while a mostly are proud to beryllium American and stay attached to nan country, it was paired pinch “striking uncertainty and concern.”

“Many deficiency basal knowledge astir nan Declaration of Independence, nan Constitution’s purpose, and nan building of law government,” nan study said, noting that nan spread was wider among younger Americans “who are little apt to consciousness connected to nan founding and much apt to beryllium uncertain aliases skeptical” astir nan future.